[kaptinkracker]


Hey guys new to the forum here. I have an issue with my first HTPC build.

 

Specs:

 

Zotac A75-ITX WiFi

AMD A6-6400K Richland Black Box Edition

8GB Dual channel (2x4) Crucial Balistix 1866

SanDisk SSD

Barracuda 1 TB

AverMedia 2 channel Tuner Card

Win7 Base score 6.5

Xfinity 25mbps ISP

 

Why the heck (not my first word choice) won't this PC stream smoothly? Doesn't matter what the video quality is set to, streaming is choppy. Plays DVDs perfectly, runs OTA HDTV perfectly...

 

Things I have done so far:

 

Updated every single driver and piece of software.

Checked my internet speed (speednet) time of day etc does not change the issue.

Done every possible thing I can think of in CCC.

 

What am I missing here? Am I looking at bad internet (modem, connection, etc) or does this seem hardware related? It's hard to believe this rig won't stream video.

 

Other thoughts:

 

I have no other programs running in the background aside from Win7.

I am directly connected to my ISP modem via hardwire (going wireless doesn't change the issue).

 

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[Toys7505]

First, welcome to the forum! When you say "stream", are you running an extender such ax a xbox 360/ceton echo, or trying to get a tablet or laptop to play a movie or just get the HTPC to play files smoothly? What kind of software are you using? XBMC? WMC? Mediabrowser? Also, what codecs do you have installed? What kind of files ars you playing when it shows signs of choppiness? MKV? M2TS? AVI? ISO?


Your hardware looks fine and should be able to play anything you throw at it.


Toys

 

[kaptinkracker]


By "stream" I mean play HULU and Netflix from my HTPC to my LCD TV through the HDMI port.

 

I am using WMC with no codecs. Playing files gives me no issues.

 

I have tried to stream through the browser and also WMC plug in for Netflix. I can only stream HULU through my browser. I am using IE (Chrome was worse).

 

Netflix is far superior in terms of streaming quality. Some movies, for example Days of Thunder are flawless, then something like The Last Kung Fu Master looks like dookie. HULU is always an eye sore.

 

Seems to only occur when scenes are panning, Ancient Aliens is a good example. YouTube does the same thing. 

 

By choppy I mean almost like a stutter. I want to say like dropping frames but I can't say for sure. I have also tried disabling acceleration but that seemed to make it worse.

 

[Toys7505]

You may want to try installing LAV filter or Shark007 cause WMC maybe choking on the files you are streaming from Hulu or Netflix.


I have Shark installed and dont have any problem running netflix through WMC


Toys

 

[kaptinkracker]


I was planning on doing that anyway so I might as well. However, I don't see how that has any impact on IE and streaming other things such as YouTube and HULU...

 

[dfkimbro]

Are you streaming over WiFi? That might be the problem. Did you try it with a wired ethernet connection?

 

[kaptinkracker]


Definitely tried on both wired and wireless. At the moment I am wired directly to the LAN port. It's frustrating that it seemed like my Wii and Blu-Ray player streamed Netflix fine. I don't own either anymore to check.

 

I only have a few more options to exhaust:

 

Try at someone elses house/ISP.

Try a crossfire video card (refuse to spend anymore money on the computer).

Buy a ROKU.

 

[goros]

Sounds like it could be a throughput issue with your router to me.


What cable modem/router combo are you using? I had similar issues until I dropped a Motorola SB6120 and a WNDR4500 in place. I also only have 25mb service from road runner.


Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

[kaptinkracker]


I have tried running the wire straight from the modem (bypassing the router) and it didn't make a difference. I have a Motorola surfboard SB5100.

 

[Boke01]

I can almost guaranty your choppy playback is caused by by Microsoft's absolutely awful Silverlight.

None of my PCs will playback smoothly with it. Only way I found to run smoothly with it is to install windows XP or uninstall your video card drivers. It will playback smoothly then but you'll have screen tearing.


The windows 8 netflix app plays back great. But you can't control it with a keyboard or a remote.

 

[trans_lux]

Hum this is a head scratcher given that file playback is fine but streaming isn't.


Couple things:

Are the files you are playing back with no issues local or from the network?

What do you see for your download speed and latency when you run a test?

If you open up IE and drag the app around the screen is it smooth or jerky?


Check the status of your Nic card to make sure it's not operating at a very low speed.


You may have already done this.

Start HULU or Netflix and open Windows Resource Monitor

Want to know what your CPU and memory utilization is and hard drive activity looks like.

Open Resource Monitor by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Resource Monitor, and then, in the list of results, click Resource Monitor.

 

[kaptinkracker]


First off thanks for all the replies! Secondly, there is no smearing or anything of the sort if I open anything and move it around. All the files that play perfectly are local on the HDD. I can understand that Silverlight for Win7 may be garbage but it also happens on YouTube, WMC ESPN3 and HULU. I think the only connection there is Flash. Also, Netflix is the only thing I can get to work although it's hit or miss so I would argue the opposite about Silverlight. For example right now playing Fly Boys through IE I can select HD and it will stream in HD, but when the train moves things moving outside are "twitchy" I don't know much about video cards (not a gamer) and whatnot but I'm assuming it's dropping frames.

 

I have ventured away from speednet and found another ISP speed test site and my speeds are between 5-10mbps download speed. I don't know how to test the latency (is that ping time?)...

 

I will do the resource test next and report back. I can tell you that using the gadget my CPU is at 23%-35% with HD Netfilx streaming in IE and this forum open, Microsoft Security Essentials, and cloud system booster in systray. RAM is 23% steady. I have an SSD SATA III (Win score 7.5).

 

On a side note something I forgot to mention, from time to time it appears as though mouths are not moving in synch with the audio, this may also occur when playing local files and possibly an entirely different issue altogether. I have disabled Steady Video and it still happens (rarely) but annoying none the less.

 

[kaptinkracker]


Resource Monitor Results:

 

CPU utilization= 24-36% (same as gadget)

CPU Frequency= 67-99% ??

RAM Used= 21% (same as gadget)

Disk= Basically saying 0 KB/Sec-238 KB/Sec 0-1% highest active time

Network Activity= 0-3% utilization

 

[trans_lux]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kaptinkracker  /t/1522591/at-my-wits-end#post_24489140


Resource Monitor Results:


CPU utilization= 24-36% (same as gadget)

CPU Frequency= 67-99% ??

RAM Used= 21% (same as gadget)

Disk= Basically saying 0 KB/Sec-238 KB/Sec 0-1% highest active time

Network Activity= 0-3% utilization

And this is running Hulu or Netflix?

 

[kaptinkracker]


Yes, Neflix. I am about to throw this thing in highway traffic.

 

EDIT: HULU CPU utilization goes down to around 15%.

 

[trans_lux]

What do you see for speed and ping times when running a test at http://speedtest.comcast.net/ ?

Did you check your NIC card to make sure its operating at the correct speed?

Right click on the network adapter and select Status. What is speed listed at?


Open a cmd prompt and type tracert netflix.com and hit enter let it run until it completes and then do the same with tracert hulu.com and past your results here.

 

[kaptinkracker]


Speed Test Results:

 

Latency 8ms

Download 27.44

Upload 5.75

 

Just a quick question, how do I get to cmd prompt and what exactly do I type in. I'm not really a computer guy which may be half the problem!

 

[kaptinkracker]


Ok I figured it out. However I don't know how to copy from DOS. That is a lot of info to have to type!

 

[trans_lux]



Quote:
Originally Posted by kaptinkracker  /t/1522591/at-my-wits-end#post_24489345


Ok I figured it out. However I don't know how to copy from DOS. That is a lot of info to have to type!

right click in the cmd prompt window and select all, then copy by hitting enter, then paste into forum with ctrl v

 

[kaptinkracker]


Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601] Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Users\HTPC>tracert netflix.com Tracing route to netflix.com [69.53.236.17] over a maximum of 30 hops: 1